Finnish Crime Fiction Pioneer Pirkko Arhippa Leaves €800,000 Bequest to Support Emerging Female Writers
The Finnish Association of Authors has received an exceptionally large bequest from Naantali-based crime writer Pirkko Arhippa, who passed away last October at the age of 90. The estate, valued at €800,000, will be used to establish a fund in Arhippa’s name to support female crime writers at the start of their careers (Yle).
The fund’s returns will be distributed as grants and prizes in line with Arhippa’s wishes. The bequest also includes an apartment in Naantali, which the Association plans to sell. According to the Association’s Executive Director, Ilmi Villacís, the donation is one of the largest in the organization’s history, with comparable bequests last seen in the 1950s–1960s. "Bequests of this size are very rare. We have not received such bequests in recent decades," Villacís told Yle.
A Legacy in Finnish Crime Fiction
Arhippa, born in Rautavaara in 1935, was a trailblazer in Finnish crime fiction. Her debut novel, Murder Is a Matter of the Heart, was published in 1968, and she continued writing until her final work, Rose – Ball – Key, released in 2016 (Yle). In addition to crime novels, she authored romantic fiction under various pseudonyms.
Her contributions to the genre were recognized in 2005 when the Finnish Crime Society awarded her the Hornanlinna Honorary Certificate for her long-standing work in advancing Finnish crime fiction (MTV Uutiset). Villacís emphasized that the new fund would ensure Arhippa’s legacy endures, stating, "She was a member of the Association of Authors, and in this way, her name will also live on through the named fund" (Yle).
A Call for More Donations
Villacís highlighted the growing importance of private donations amid cuts to state funding for writers. "Not just for the Finnish Association of Authors, but everywhere, the importance of donations has grown as state funding has been cut. We hope for more of these, as funds are extremely important for writers," she said (Yle).
Beyond her literary career, Arhippa was active in Naantali municipal politics as a member of the Social Democratic Party of Finland. Her bequest marks a significant boost for aspiring female crime writers in Finland.
